Board of Directors

John Broker

John Broker is the General Manager of H2H Media. Mr. Broker has been a dedicated sports professional for over 12 years in progressive endeavors including broadcast, marketing, events, high performance athlete development, and athletic organization development. With a passion for sport promotion, Mr. Broker has worked in the media field to develop virtual tournaments, live broadcast, highlight shows and promotional video; he has also been on-air talent for domestic and international live rugby telecasts. Mr. Broker has been involved in major events as an operations director, organizer, and at the staff level for local grass-roots and national level events as well as international rugby test matches. During a stint with USARUGBY, Mr. Broker streamlined 14 national teams under the same operational umbrella, while providing oversight to national team programs intended to improve player and team performance through creation of a high performance environment for players and coaches. Prior to entering the sports field, Mr. Broker worked as a Project Manager in the A/E field, developing operational plans for communities to address infrastructure needs through transit solutions across the United States. With intense attention to detail and the understanding of the needs of players and teams, spectators, sponsors, and the local community, Mr. Broker has the demonstrated ability to continually raise the bar in the sports field.

David Fischer

David has over a decade of experience as a technology entrepreneur. He founded his firstcompany as a junior in college and since then has worked with clients across the United States, in addition to building and selling two internet startups. He is a founder and partner in 10 Speed Labs, BetterITS, Dream Staffing, Elm Talent Group, and East Rock Software, all based in New Haven.

He is an active member of both the New York and New Haven technology and entrepreneurial communities where he speaks frequently on topics related to management strategies, organizational structures, and software application usability.

David is a member of the Yale Club of New Haven and a trustee of Friends of Yale Rugby, an alumni organization he founded. An All-New England rugby player in college, David still plays actively with New Haven Rugby. He holds a B.A. with distinction in Computer Science and Economics from Yale University. He currently lives in New Haven with his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children.

James Blake

James Blake, who served as the university’s vice president for finance and administration from 1996-2002, boasts an impressive resume that includes eight years in the Connecticut State University system office before coming to Southern. He began in the CSU office as an assistant for audit and fiscal affairs and worked his way up in the ranks to associate vice president for finance and management.

As executive vice president, Blake assists the president in handling the increasingly heavy burdens of day-to-day operational activities at the university. And while he believes his career path has prepared him well for the challenge of serving as the university’s executive vice president, Blake also has the benefit of a solid aerobic training program to help him with the rigors of the job.

Blake is an avid runner who logs an average of 25 to 30 miles a week. He participates in some 30 road races throughout the year, including the annual New Haven Labor Day Road Race (20K).

Blake is a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in business administration, and the University of Connecticut, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration. His background also includes a stint in the U.S. Army as a member of the 8th Infantry Division, stationed in Germany.

Chris O’Connor

Christopher M. O’Connor is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Yale New Haven Health System. His focus is on the continued development of shared system services and programs for the entire health system, including Northeast Medical Group, Supply Chain and Corporate Procurement, Facilities and Human Resources, and shared clinical services.

Prior to this position, Mr. O’Connor was president and CEO of the Saint Raphael Healthcare System and the Hospital of Saint Raphael, serving in that position until the successful affiliation with Yale-New Haven Hospital, September 12, 2012.

Mr. O’Connor’s appointment as Saint Raphael’s president/CEO represented a return to his roots. A New Haven native, his interest in healthcare developed when he worked at Saint Raphael’s as an Emergency Room technician in 1999 before receiving his Bachelor of Economics and Master in Health Service Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After completing an administrative fellowship, he again returned to Saint Raphael’s to serve in several key administrative roles, including administrative director of Surgery and Emergency Medicine and then as vice president of Clinical Operations, before moving to Ochsner.

He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Bob Phillips

Robert M. Phillips, Managing Director, joined The Clarecastle Group in 2004 after having held the title Chief Executive Officer and/or President of a number of the world’s most prestigious companies. The only American to be named a Director of Unilever PLC and Unilever NV, he served the company as Business Group President, Home and Personal Care — Unilever North America and Global Coordinator Personal Products. Earlier, he held the posts of Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Arden Company, Worldwide and Chairman of the Board, Unilever Prestige Personal products which included Elizabeth Arden and Calvin Klein cosmetics. Mr. Phillips’ other presidential posts include those at Chesebrough-Ponds, Inc. and Clairol, Inc. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Mr. Phillips received an MBA from the Columbia Graduate School of Business.